Hearts and Diamonds
by fukaimoriMidori
Summary: Gambit X OC, AU. Set somewhere after Season 2. Kana is a new student at Xavier's Institute. She, like most of the X-Men there, has an angsty past and is struggling to deal with it. Gambit helps, and is helped along the way.
1. Prologue

**Hearts and Diamonds  
>Prologue<br>Number of words: 476**

**Summary: In which dark and dastardly things happen at night, Mesmero plays the role of judge, jury and mind controls someone to be the executioner. Gambit x OC, AU. Mild violence and gore. **

**Author****'****s ****comments: ****Because**** much**** as**** I ****love ****Gambit****x****Rogue, ****the ****Rogue ****in ****X-Men ****Evolution**** never ****did**** it ****for ****me. ****Don****'****t ****ask ****me ****why; ****emo ****Rogue ****made ****sense, ****because ****she **_**is **_**younger, ****she ****wouldn't ****have ****the ****confidence ****the ****older ****Rogue ****did**** (See**** the ****1992 ****cartoon). ****But ****there ****are**** some ****authors ****who ****have ****written ****Romy ****beautifully,**** set ****in ****the ****X-Men ****Evolution ****universe.****(Check ****out ****Lucia****de'Medici****'****s ****works.) ****Well, ****enjoy, ****and**** leave a ****review**** so ****I**** know**** what**** to ****work ****on and may be motivated to continue this... Thing. ****Thank ****you.**

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><p>It happened at night, of course, as most terrible things did.<p>

Mizuki woke with a start, and she could feel her stomach lurch with the sudden motion. Her whole body hurt; like there were a million insects crawling under her skin under her skin, biting her over and over from the inside.

By the gods, it _hurt_.

A shadow detached itself from the wall. She steeled herself, stepped out of the bed with her arms raised, ready to defend herself, only to sink to the floor with a soft cry of pain.

"What have you done?" she gasped.

She couldn't do a thing, even as the dark figure stepped towards the bed where her still-sleeping husband was, couldn't even muster the strength to get back up. When she saw the glint of metal in the darkness, she screamed.

The knife plunged down, and her husband was now dead. As the coppery reek of blood filled the air, her scream changed into a high keening wail.

_Kana_, she thought distantly, and then remembered. Her daughter was on a plane, headed far, far away. Thank the gods.

The silent figure stepped towards her.

"Wait," another voice demanded.

Yet another dark figure detached himself from the shadows. He pulled his hood down, and she recognised his face, the unmistakable lines tattooed on his face.

"Mesmero," she breathed. Each breath was a painful, laboured gasp now. "What have you done?"

"Simple, really," the man said. "Ground glass in your dinner. You are now dying of a million tiny haemorrhages."

She glanced towards the shadow, and sure enough, it was the neighbour she and her husband had shared dinner with earlier. His eyes were glazed, empty. The man was completely oblivious of the blood that dripped down his hands.

_Information_, she thought distantly. It was a struggle to think, a struggle to breathe; she could taste blood in her mouth, and there were red and black spots dancing in front of her eyes. She had to find out how much he knew. Had to find out if Kana was safe.

Somehow, she managed to force out a short hysterical laugh. "You didn't dare take us head-on," she said. From the frown on Mesmero's face, she knew she was right.

"Why are you doing this?" Mizuki asked.

"Punishment," he said. "Your family has been loyal to the Master for centuries, but you have betrayed their cause."

"It had to be done," she argued. "Mesmero, you mustn't - "

"I can, and I will," the mutant snapped. "While you and your traitorous family can rot."

"You don't understand." Each word was carefully, deliberately ground out of her bleeding mouth. "The world he intends to create must not happen."

"On the contrary," Mesmero sneered. "It will. And I will be richly rewarded. Be thankful that I am the one delivering your execution and not the Master. I can assure you, it would have been exceedingly painful."

He turned to the other man. "Do it!"

The blade slid down, a pinprick of light in her shadowed vision. Her last thought was for her daughter, and the knowledge that she was safe.

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><p><strong>Author's note: I just found out that ground glass isn't really an effective poisonmurder weapon. Let's just pretend the dinner they had was REALLY bad and impossible to chew, so they dumped sauce on it to disguise the taste and didn't realize there were glass _splinters_ in it. **


	2. Chapter 1

**Hearts and Diamonds  
>Chapter 1<br>Number of words: 1424**

**Summary: ****In ****which ****both**** Rogue ****and**** Kitty**** gain**** a**** new ****roommate,**** to ****Jean****'****s**** dismay .****Kana****'****s ****trying ****to ****learn**** the**** ropes ****in ****the**** Institute. ****Rogue ****hates**** Jean,****hates ****herself ****and**** does**** her ****best ****to**** be**** nice**** to**** the ****new**** girl.**

**Author****'****s ****comments: ****As**** always,**** feed**** the**** author ****and**** review.**** Oh and er, enjoy the fic.**

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><p>"Welcome to your new home," Professor Xavier smiled. "The Xavier institute."<p>

"It's beautiful," Kana breathed.

And it was. It was also all too much, too overwhelming. It'd all happened so fast.

Sensing her distress, Xavier spoke.

"Your parents had your best interests at heart when they sent you here, Kana," he said, trying to soothe the girl.

_They __always __do_, she thought bitterly, and then flushed, knowing the telepath had heard her.

"I'm sorry," she said aloud. "I don't mean to be rude or anything. But it's all just... a little hard to take in. I mean..." She closed her eyes, seeing the events play out in her head again, clear and vivid.

_One __minute __we __were __arguing,__ and__ I __stormed__ out __of __the __house.__ When __I __came__ back __my __mom __had __packed __my __bags __and __told __me __I __had __to __leave __on __the __next __flight. __I __don't __-_

_Kana_, the Xavier interrupted mentally. _It's __perfectly __understandable __that__ you're __confused. __But __please, __trust__ me._

He could still hear her confusion, anger, and bitterness raging in the small space of her head. Then she breathed, and somehow, she seemed to push away the turbulence, suppress it and shove it down roughly so deep in her head he had to hear it all clamouring in her head.

Kana smiled, and it almost felt real. She was calm, in control again. "Of course, Professor," she said evenly. "After all, you're an old friend of my parents, right?"

"That's right." Somehow, he felt he shouldn't have been too surprised at her almost formidable self-control. After all, her parents, perfectionists that they were, would have trained her from a very young age.

"Well then," he said. "Let me introduce you to your new roommate. I know she's around here somewhere." He chuckled, as though he'd just made a joke. "Rogue!" he called out.

Almost immediately, the goth walked in the dining room, her face a little flushed from being caught at spying. "Yes Professor?" she asked.

"Rogue, I'd like you to meet your new roommate. Kana," he said, "This is Rogue. She'll be helping you settle in."

Kana examined the girl, and thought she looked more than a little intimidating. She could feel herself being examined and judge in turn, and the scowl on Rogue's face wasn't too welcoming.

"Erm. What about me Professor?"

Another girl stepped in; shorter and frailer-looking than Rogue, and far friendlier-looking. Kana figured it was the pink she was wearing.

"Professor," Rogue said, twirling her hair nervously. "Ah'm not really sure Ah'm the right person to ask for babysitting."

"Kitty, you'll be rooming with Jean," Xavier told the smaller girl. Rogue caught what he meant - he knew about her impatience with the other telepath. Better Kitty roomed with the redhead than her.

_Thanks __Professor_, she thought.

_You're __welcome._ Rogue could have sworn that the Professor was almost amused.

Rogue tried her best to stop scowling and mustered a passable smile at the new girl. Lordy, was she a tiny thing. Awfully young looking too.

"Hey there," she greeted in her friendliest voice. "C'mon, get your things and Ah'll show ya y'room."

"Whelp, looks like I'm gonna have to clear out my things," Kitty said. "C'mon, let me help with your bags."

"Th - Thank you," Kana stammered. Their sudden warmth was unexpected. Overwhelming almost, but she didn't dislike it. She smiled, and this time, the expression was real.

XXXXX

"So," Rogue said. "This is our room."

It was plain and simple. Heavy-looking wooden furniture, white sheets on single beds. Nothing fancy. But still, it somehow managed to look warm and homely, like much else in the institute.

"It ain't much," Rogue said when Kana didn't say a thing.

"It's lovely," Kana replied, meaning it. She turned to the goth. "So, where do I put my things?"

"Here," Kitty called, her voice muffled. She emerged from her wardrobe carrying a pile of clothes almost as tall as she was. "Just gimme a sec to clear all this up." As she said this, she stumbled, and a couple of shirts and a pair of shoes fell off.

"C'mon, we'll help. Jean's room ain't far."

"Thanks guys! There's more back there," Kitty said breezily, fumbling her way towards the door.

Kana and Rogue picked their way through articles of fallen clothing and looked at the wardrobe.

"How," Kana finally said. "Did she manage to fit all this in there?"

"She has her ways," Rogue said dryly. "C'mon, just grab some of this junk and follow the pink road to Jean's room."

It took a while, but between the three of them, they managed to cart over every article of Kitty's extensive wardrobe to her new room.

"_Finally_," Rogue groaned, plopping on Kitty's new bed.

"Um," a red-headed girl said as she walked in. "What's going on?"

"An' here Ah thought you were a telepath," Rogue muttered under her breath, just loudly enough for Kana to hear.

Kana saw annoyance quickly flit across Jean's face, which she quickly brushed aside when Kitty bounced her way to the red head.

"Hey Jean," Kitty greeted. "Guess what?" And before Jean could answer, she squealed "We're new roommates! Isn't it awesome?"

"That's... Great, Kitty," Jean replied a shade less unenthusiastically.

Kitty was completely oblivious to Jean's apprehension. "I _know_, right? Oh," she spun around, and pointed to Kana. "This is Kana, she's taking my old bed."

"Hi." Kana waved.

"Hey there," Jean said, all smiles and warmth. "Just let me know if you need anything, kay?"

"Yeah, she will," Rogue spoke through gritted teeth. "C'mon Kana, y'gotta unpack." And she stormed out.

Kana quickly followed, not missing the way Jean quickly bit down her lip to stop her retorts. She waited until they were back in the safety of their room and shut the door.

"Why so hostile?" Kana asked, then flushed, embarrassed with her abruptness. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"S'kay." Rogue slumped on her bed, brooding as she twisted the fabric of her blouse. "You're the first person to ask. Ah mean. Ah guess everyone here knows anyway." She bit one dark-coloured lip, closed her eyes and sighed. "Ah'm just a psycho bitch Ah guess."

"Not true," Kana contradicted.

Rogue's lips twisted into something that was more grimace than smile. "Kana gal, y'don't even know me. Unless you're a telepath. But if ya_ were _a telepath, y'd _know_ Ah'm big, bad and crazy."

Kana didn't believe any of it. She didn't know why, she just didn't. It was probably because Rogue's eyes seemed to speak volumes; they were a dark green, ebbing with a sorrow she couldn't begin to comprehend. It was what made her lash out at Jean, she figured. It was what made her so angry all the time. She knew what that felt like.

But because she was a new girl who didn't know anyone or anything, she kept her mouth shut and just shook her head.

"Say," Rogue said, tone changing from acerbic to something that was almost curiousity. "What _can_you do?" At Kana's incomprehension, she clarified "Your powers."

"Oh." It was Kana's turn to close her eyes, blink. She struggled for the English term for a moment. "I... How do you put it? I'm a hydrokinetic. I can manipulate water."

"Cool," Rogue grinned. "Bet that must b' fun in th' shower."

"So, what's your gift?" Kana asked.

It was the wrong thing to ask. Kana saw her eyes darken - _like__ someone __just __drew __the__ curtains __in __the __windows _she thought abstractly - and the way Rogue seemed to fold into herself.

"Gift ain't the right word," Rogue said bitterly, staring at her hands. Slowly, she peeled off the glove and stared at the exposed skin. "Curse, more like."

Kana waited patiently a long minute for what the other girl had to say. "Normal lookin' hand, right?" Rogue finally said. "When Ah touch somebody - not just with my hands, but with any part of my body, Ah take their energy. The'r memories, and if they're mutants, the'r powers too. If Ah hold on long enough," she paused, and then gave a short, sharp laugh. "Well. They die."

"That's..." Kana struggled to find the right thing to say. "That's awful." It sounded lame, even to herself.

"Yeah, it is," Rogue said shortly. She shoved the glove on, and then gave Kana a half-smile that didn't even come close to hiding the unhappiness in her eyes. "C'mon, let's get you unpacked."

And that was that.

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><p><strong>Author's comment: Nothing related, but the italics is seriously pissing me off. When I upload it on Doc Manager it gets all screwed up. Anyone else facing this problem? On a side note, Gambit (and Acolyte related humour) up in the next chapter.<br>**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hearts and Diamonds  
>Chapter 2<br>Number of words: 1208  
>Summary: In which Sabretooth gains a new toy, Magneto is as devious as ever, and Gambit is given free reign to be a stalker. Character silliness ahead.<br>Author's comment: Writing this chapter was fun. **

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><p>When Gambit had joined Magneto as an Acolyte, he knew he would sometimes be stuck in disagreeable circumstances. He figured it wouldn't be too bad; he wasn't a stranger to them, having grown up in the street, stealing in order to survive. But nothing, <em>nothing<em>_, _had prepared him for this.

"Why, you mangy furball!" Pyro shrieked. "That last pizza was mine! _Mine!_"

"How the hell was I supposed to know?" Sabertooth growled.

"You coulda _asked_ before you scarfed down the entire thing! Didn't your ma ever teach you to ask?"

"Didn't_ your_ ma ever teach ya to share?"

Gambit saw Colossus' head emerge very briefly in the doorway of the kitchen. After seeing the two, he disappeared, quicker than lightning. Gambit was fairly sure the sound of something heavy being moved was the boy pushing everything he could find against the door of his room. Which of course, left him to deal with Pyro and Sabretooth before they wrecked the kitchen, and then the rest of the base.

This had not been in the job description.

"Alright," he said, stepping in between the two angry mutants and feeling like a complete idiot as he did. "Let's settle this like gentlemen."

"Back off," Sabretooth snarled, not taking his eyes off Pyro.

"Yeah," Pyro agreed. "Go on Cajun, beat it."

"Come on boys, Magneto wouldn't like it if you thrashed his nice base." He slipped his bō staff from his coat, extended it and set it firmly down, so the two morons knew he meant business.

"Then I'll just have to burn him nice and clean," Pyro declared. "How'd you like your meat Sabre_ca_t? Medium rare? Or _well-done?_"

Instinct told Gambit to jump away, since most painfully cliché one-liners usually led to a full-out attack. Just as he did, streams of fire exploded from Pyro's flame throwers. Sabretooth did the same. Before Pyro could form the flames into one of his ridiculously flashy things, Sabretooth had leapt on to the Australian, knocking down the smaller mutant to the floor. The impact was enough to jar Pyro's concentration, and the flames dissipated.

_Good thin' tuh_, Gambit mused. Scorch marks were a pain to remove.

"Alright boys, now break it up," he said. "The boss is gonna be home pretty soon, and he's not gonna like seeing you two fightin' like children."

"But he started it!" Pyro's muffled voice came from underneath Sabretooth's bulk.

"Shaddup," Sabretooth growled.

_Children_, Gambit thought. Those two were exactly like children. God knows how long he was going to be stuck with them. Just the thought of having to deal with this idiocy daily made his head hurt. _Dieu_, he needed a smoke, bad. But first, he tightened his hold on his bō, concentrating, charging it until it glowed with energy. With one neat swing, he flung Sabretooth away from Pyro. The heavier mutant was a brown blur as he traversed the room and landed on metal walls with a resounding _clang_, leaving a nasty dent on the wall.

So much for not thrashing the base. Ah well. Magneto could fix that easily. And it was better than scorch marks.

"Thanks, mate," Pyro said as he clambered up, still sounding breathless.

"Y' wouldn't need rescuin' if y' hadn't started it," Gambit returned.

"Well, yer welcome too," Pyro grumbled.

From behind, Gambit could hear Sabretooth getting up.

"I'm going to kill you for that."

This was followed by a snarl so deep it seemed to ripple the air. Gambit thought that it might almost be frightening, if the furball didn't do that almost every five seconds. It was getting old. Completely unfazed by the larger mutant readying to pounce, Gambit pulled a ball of yarn from one of his numerous pockets.

"Fetch," he said, and tossed it. To his amusement and Pyro's utter surprise, Sabretooth complied.

"How the... How the _hell_ didja - " Pyro spluttered, wide-eyed.

"Catnip," Gambit answered.

Sabretooth lay on the floor, batting the little ball of yarn with a hand. He looked perfectly, utterly content, if not a little drugged. _Happy_ even - and Sabretooth wasn't ordinarily a happy mutant, unless he was beating something to a pulp.

"Mate?"

"Yeah?"

"You're a genius."

Gambit smirked. "I know."

Magneto chose this moment to return. He strolled into the kitchen, calm and cool as always, then halted. Gambit could almost hear Magneto's brain going into overdrive, trying to process the scene before him.

"What," he finally said. "Is Sabretooth doing?"

"Playing with a ball of yarn," Pyro said. When Magneto's expression remained dumbfounded, he added "Catnip."

"Ah." Magneto remained transfixed at the highly unusual sight for a few more seconds before turning to look at his other two Acolytes. "Well, let's hope the X-Men don't ever try that," he said dryly. Pyro sniggered, and Gambit felt his cheeks beginning to hurt from the large smirk he wore on his face.

"Where's Colossus?" Magneto asked.

"Holed up in his room," Pyro replied.

Magneto raised an eyebrow, opened his mouth to ask, and evidently decided he didn't want to know.

"Xavier has taken in a new student," he said instead. Gambit felt himself straighten, already anticipating the thrill of a mission. Behind him, Sabretooth made an odd sound - half giggle and half mewl - as he sniffed the yarn, which all three mutants ignored.

"I was a friend of her parents," Magneto went on. "They were both Class Five mutants. And knowing them, she'd have been trained in combat from a young age, and in controlling her powers from the second they manifested. The girl would be a very useful member of our team. I want you all to find out as much as you can about her. We'd need as much information as we can to bring her over to our side. Tell Colossus and Sabretooth when he's not - " Again, the silver eyebrow shot up as the three mutants turned to stare at the drugged mutant. Magneto sighed, then turned to Gambit.

"Gambit, I want you to spy on her," he ordered. "Find out about her powers, figure out how we can persuade her to leave Xavier and join us."

Gambit could feel himself grinning. Persuading a lady? The boss knew him well. And that also meant that he didn't have to stick around the base playing peacekeeper. "Already on it," he grinned.

"And make sure," Magneto added. "You don't get caught."

Gambit widened his eyes and made a noise of faux horror. "Gambit get caught?" he gasped, hands fluttering to his chest. He smirked. "Ain't ever happened yet."

Magento nodded, satisfied, and left the kitchen.

"I'm gonna check this _fille_ out," Gambit told Pyro. "You tell the others, yeah?"

The Australian rolled his eyes. "I _know_ that look, LeBeau," he warned. "_Persuade_ 'er, Magneto said. Not seduce 'er."

Gambit shrugged, feeling a grin quirk his lips. "Same thin' ta me," he said. "'sides," he grinned. "Depends how pretty the _fille_ is, _non_?"

Pyro snorted. "Remy, you an' I both know you'd sleep with anything in a skirt."

"Not true," Gambit contradicted. "Gambit has his standards."

Again, Pyro snorted, and decided to let it go. Besides, he needed to get hold of a camera and get hold of some very incriminating photos of Sabretooth.

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><p><strong>Author's comment: There's an episode - I think it was 'Cajun and Spices' - where Pyro mentions that Sabretooth's somewhere playing a ball of yarn. The image stuck. Oh, and I noticed the Acolytes never ever referred to each other by the first name, which is why I try to avoid that here. I don't know. I'm nitpicking but does that make sense to you?<br>**

**As always, feed the poor, hungry author.  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**Hearts & Diamonds 3  
>Number of words: 1095<br>Summary: In which Kana has a nice late chat with Wolverine. **

**Author's comment: This has been sitting in my iPod Touch for a long time. I'm still dissatisfied with it, but I've moved on to the next chapter already. Suggestions for improvement are greatly appreciated.**

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><p>For the millionth time, Kana shifted in the bed, willing herself to sleep.<p>

_Sleep_, she told herself. Oblivion. Rest. Nothingness.

When she'd run out of synonyms, she gave up and got out of bed. In the opposite bed, Rogue groaned, turned, then settled deeper into her cocoon of blankets.

Kana glanced at the digital clock a Rogue's bedside. Just after two. She didn't think she'd be able to sleep any time soon.

She was wearing only a thin white _yukata_, but figured if she ran into someone else, she was decent enough. She stepped out of the bedroom and fumbled her way to the kitchens through the dark hallways. When she thought she was in the right room, she groped for the light switch.

The light flickered on.

"You shouldn't be awake."

Kana jumped at the voice, blinking and trying to adjust to the sudden flood of light. When her eyes stopped streaming tears, she focused on the scary-looking man with side burns leaning casually on the wall, beer in hand.

_Logan_, her mind supplied. Codename Wolverine. She remembered him from dinner earlier. He was next to the light switch, holding a bottle of beer in one hand.

"Jetlag," she said. "I can't sleep."

Logan took another sip of beer. Even in that casual motion, there was something animalistic about him, like a wild animal was lying in wait under his skin, ready to go berserk any second.

"Huh," he grunted. Kana walked towards the fridge, opened it, and took an apple. Plonking herself on one of the chairs, she took a bite.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" she asked.

Logan gave her a long, hard look. She took another bite of her apple, doing her best not to show she that she was intimidated. He was a frightening man, she decided, and not one to be messed with. She repressed the urge to shiver.

"Well," Logan said as he sat down the chair directly opposite hers. "Don't think I'll make it any easier for you for training tomorrow."

Kana blinked, certain that somewhere out in the wide universe, a record was skipping.

"Training?" she repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yep," Logan grinned. There was nothing nice about the expression. "How else are you gonna learn to use your powers, kid? Or take out other big bad mutants?"

"Hold on," Kana interrupted, panicking. "The Professor _never _said anything about this."

"Yeah well," Logan said. "Ignorance ain't an excuse." He gulped down the beer, clearly enjoying himself. "No need to be scared, kid." The nasty grin on his face suggested otherwise.

Kana scowled. "I'm not scared."

He appraised her, and nodded, believing her. "You've got guts, I'll give you that."

"You don't get it." Kana bit her lip. "I won't use my powers against another person. I _won't_."

She set down her apple and stared down at her hands. _Normal looking hands, right?_Rogue had said. Painfully, deceptively normal.

"Kid, maybe that'd work in dreamland, but you're in the real world now." Logan shook his head. " 'fraid to break it to ya, but you're a mutant, and you're gonna be attacked by humans _and_some asshole mutants your whole life. Nothing you can do about it. But that's what training's for. 'least we'll be giving you a chance to survive."

Kana chewed her lip. "I don't want to use my powers to hurt anybody," she finally said. "I... It's not right. I know life isn't all rainbows and ponies. I'm not a complete idiot. Though," she added defensively, seeing the smirk on his face. "You think otherwise. I know self-defense. Hand-to-hand combat. I have some training in weapons." She was biting her lip so hard now she'd split the skin, tasting copper in her mouth. "I won't hurt people with my powers."

"What kinda powers do you got, kid?" Logan asked, genuinely curious.

"Is it customary for you all to ask that?" Kana asked, trying to avoid snapping. It came out whiny and petulant instead. But it was all they asked when they saw her, the newbie. "I mean, can't a person's powers be private?"

Logan gave her a long and hard look. "Kid," he said. "I don't know what kinda place you came from, but here, your powers ain't something you have to hide. They're a part of you."

The look she gave him in return was one filled with so much despair and self-loathing, it made his skin crawl to look at it. Then she blinked, and the expression was gone.

"I know," she said quietly. She was silent for a minute. "I'm a hydrokinetic. Water manipulator."

"Ah." Logan didn't understand it. He'd expected her to have some awful power with terrible side-effects, like Rogue, but her mutation sounded fairly tame. But it didn't sound like ordinary teenage angst.

"So why are _you _awake?" Kana suddenly asked.

"I'm not a kid, I don't _need_eight hours of sleep like you babies," Logan snorted.

Kana shrugged. "How much have you drunk?" She sniffed, smelling the alcohol that clung to the man's body. It was obviously not his first bottle. Or second, or even third.

"I've got healing abilities," Logan said. He grinned. "Takes a lot to get me drunk."

"But why are you drinking?" Kana asked, then realised she'd gone too far. The grin slid off Logan's face, and he glared at her.

"Sorry," she said. "Forget I said it."

The awkward silence hung, thick and heavy. Logan had finished his beer and pulled another one out of thin air, gulping down the alcohol without pause. Kana wondered if she got up and left, the both of them could pretend the conversation never happened. Before she did though, Logan broke the silence.

"So," he grunted. "Which part of Japan you're from?"

"Not from Japan," Kana corrected. "Hainan. Southern China."

"What's with the kimono then?"

"_Yukata_," Kana corrected automatically. "My mom's Japanese," she went on to explain.

"I lived in Japan for a few years, once."

"How'd you find it?"

Logan's eyes seemed to mist over. He roused himself and shook his head, taking another swig of beer with more vigour than before.

"That bad?"

"It wasn't all bad," he said softly.

"Ah." She had no idea how to respond to that.

Suddenly, Logan got up, pushed his chair behind. The scraping of the chair was deafening.

"You should get to bed soon," he said curtly, then turned and left, leaving a confused Kana with a million questions. She stared at the empty space he had occupied and wondered what the hell had just happened.

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><p><strong>Author's comments: The Japan thing is a reference to Wolverine's past with Mariko Yashida. Why'd I pick Kana to be Asian? It'll be explained later chapters. <strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Hearts and Diamonds  
><strong>**Chapter 4  
>Number of words: 2426<strong>

**Summary: Kana wants out of training, Wolverine's hissy and Kurt gets medical attention.**

**Author's comments: Comments will be made at the end of the story. **

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><p>"I can't do this."<p>

Kitty and Rogue both paused in mid-step and turned behind. Kana had somehow turned a shade of green that could put Toad's putrid skin to shame.

"It's just a training session," Kitty said, trying to comfort her. The poor girl looked like she was going to keel over any second. "Sure, the ones with Wolverine are bad. But you're new. People will forgive you if you're the first one out."

"Ah think th' younger kids would b' lookin' forward to someone else being the odd one out, f'r once," Rogue said dryly.

Kana tugged at the sleeve of her ill-fitting uniform. It was a last-minute loan from Amara, the smallest one available in the Institute. She still had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs several times in order to move freely. She didn't know what material it was made out of, and despite all it's supposed benefits - heat resistant, thermal insulation and fire proof, amongst others - she hated it. It was suffocating and restrictive, and it drowned her at the same time. It was an odd sensation. And she missed the freedom of her less technology spangled training robes.

"I just _can't_," Kana insisted.

Before either Kitty or Rogue had the chance to open their mouths to say anything, a new voice cut in.

"If Kana doesn't want to, she needn't," Xavier said. "Rogue, Kitty, you'd best head off first. You know Logan doesn't like to be kept waiting."

The two simultaneously blanched and took off in a panic, leaving the professor and Kana alone in the hallway.

"Hello Kana."

" 'morning, Professor," Kana greeted back evenly.

"While I perfectly understand why anyone would want to miss one of Logan's training sessions," and here, one of the Professor's lips twitched, as though he were repressing a smile, "I _would _like to know the reason behind your extreme reluctance to train."

Kana sighed. This wasn't going to go very well.

"I'm a pacifist," she said.

Was it her, or did one of the professor's eyebrows go up just a notch?

"I don't believe in using my powers for violence," she explained. "I guess I'm okay with fighting with my fists, but only for self defence. But I can't - " Her voice broke. She bit her lip, tried to get a grip of herself. "I _won't_use them against others."

Xavier propped his chin on interlaced fingers and examined her closely. She looked back, calming herself, reinforcing her mental barriers as well as she could. She knew it probably looked like she was lying, but she really didn't like people digging around in her head.

"Would your parents happen to know about your pacifism, by any chance?"

Kana bit her lip. "No."

"I don't have to be a telepath to know that you don't share a very... Easy relationship with your parents, Kana," the Professor said. Yep, he was definitely smiling now. "But you could have told me if you weren't comfortable with using your powers. It _is_understandable. Rogue herself prefers hand-to-hand combat when training."

Kana looked down at the carpet, contemplating how much it would have cost. It seemed like a ridiculously expensive one; absurdly plush, and somehow firm and comfortable enough to walk on at the same time.

"I figured my parents would have said something to you," she mumbled. "So you wouldn't listen even if I'd told you I didn't want to use my powers." She thought of her father and mother waking her up hours before dawn for combat training. She remembered the yelling she received for stifling a yawn, for slowing down, for faltering as they sparred with bamboo swords; for showing any signs of weakness or fatigue whatsoever. She remembered the bruises that would bloom on her skin like mottled flowers every time she failed them.

_This carpet_, Kana thought, _is absolutely fascinating._She continued studying the carpet, tracing patterns on it with the toe of her shoe. The Professor was silent for a very long time.

"I understand," he said. "But please, Kana," he added, sounding very earnest as he did. "Your parents may be friends of mine, but that doesn't mean I entirely agree with their methods, nor will I follow them simply because they asked me to. You are my student now, Kana, and they'll just have to accept what I believe is best for you while you're under my care."

Kana blinked away the tears that had somehow managed to creep into her eyes. Much as she wanted to, she couldn't just bawl in front of the Professor - even though he sounded more sane and reasonable than her parents ever did. Instead, she forced a shaky, somewhat watery smile.

"Thank you," she whispered, shoulders sagging, as though a massive load had just been lifted. It certainly felt that way. She felt lighter, she really did.

"But," Xavier continued. Kana's heart sank. Of course, there was a 'but'. There always was.

"Logan still wants to see you."

The Professor was smirking, Kana thought. He was, he definitely _was_. It was a faint one, but damn, it was there.

"Why?" Kana managed to ask hoarsely.

"He honestly believes that, painful as his sessions may be, it's all for your own good." Xavier frowned. "Unfortunately, with anti-mutant sentiments, the real world is a lot more dangerous for you youngsters as I'd like. Peace won't happen overnight, and meanwhile, I'd prefer it if you all were able to defend yourselves if threatened. I believe your parents believed the same when they trained you," he added in a kind, sympathizing voice. Kana wondered briefly if he had been fed on a diet of honey and milk as a child. "They've at least done a good job in teaching you how to block out telepaths."

Kana's head jerked up in surprise. "Do you mean the mental barriers are working?" she asked.

"Fairly well," Xavier smiled. "It'd take quite a bit of concentration to break through them. Your father was quite an expert at this, if I recall."

"I'm nowhere near as good as him though." Kana chewed her lip.

"I believe you'll get there."

There he was again, Kana thought. Always kind, always encouraging. Like there wasn't a single mean or bad thought in him.

It only made her more aware of her own filth, the dirt and blood of her own past. It made her ashamed to be in this house, made her afraid to touch or sully anything.

Of course, she didn't say any of this, but instead smiled wanly. "Thank you, Professor."

"Well," Xavier said, preparing to wheel himself from the hallway, signaling the conversation was at an end. "Just go down the hallway, and meet Logan at the Medic Bay."

He was positively smirking as he left. Damn him.

XXXXX

"Mr McCoy?"

"Ah, Kana." Hank McCoy turned from tending his most recent patient to face the girl. She stood awkwardly at the doorway in a suit two sizes too big from her. "What can I do for you?"

"The Professor said Logan was here and wanted to see me."

"Logan's just stepped out for a while. Sit down, make yourself comfortable."

"Guh... My arm..." a German accented voice groaned.

"It's a little banged up, but it'll be fine soon," Hank said soothingly as he turned back to Kurt. The blue mutant sat up from the bed, holding his right arm stiffly.

"How soon is soon?" he cried. "I _need_ this hand! Ve have so much homework tonight and I - _Argh._" He flopped back onto the bed with a groan.

"Here, Kurt." Barely aware or in control of what she was doing, Kana moved towards the bed. Her mouth felt dry, cottony. She shouldn't be doing this. But Kurt's grimace of pain tugged at her, making her feel itchy and uncomfortable and guilty all at once. She could help him. She had the power to. "Let me."

She reached for the pitcher of water beside the bed and drew out a stream of water, forming and shaping it with mental hands, until it was a perfectly formed orb, smooth and clear as glass.

"Hold still."

Kurt's eyes widened - in amazement or fear, she couldn't tell.

"Vat are you doing?" he asked, voice shaking just the tiniest bit. Yep, it was fear.

"Don't worry." Kana did her best to sound reassuring, but she just wasn't as good as the professor.

"Um, Kana," Hank said, placing a heavy hand on the girl's shoulder. "I don't think you should - "

Kana reached for Kurt's injured arm - swollen, and under the blue fur, mottled with bruises - bringing the globule closer. She inhaled, trying to relax. As she closed her eyes, she saw it, in a blaze of light and heat. His blood, wrapping and looping through his limbs in a latticed pattern, as fine and delicate as a thread of silk.

The pathway along his arm was erratic, broken, unlike the smooth course that traveled along the rest of his body. Nothing broken, but there was some deep tissue bruising. She inhaled, bringing the sphere of water to the injury and sinking it in slowly into Kurt's skin. She ignored the way Kurt flinched or the way his tail stiffened, ignored Hank's sharp intake of breath and focused on untangling the little knots of energies, smoothing and straightening them with her water. It took a couple of minutes of intense concentration, but then she was done.

"Vat," Kurt finally said. "Did you do?"

"Yes, Kana, could you tell me precisely - "

"My arm! It's vorking again!" Kurt leapt out of the bed, flailing his limb around, just in case no one had understood him.

"Um." Kana looked down at her hands, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. "Nothing very much."

"Kana." Hank pushed up his spectacles, as he spoke. _Intense_ didn't capture the well, intensity of his expression. "You must tell me, _precisely_what you just did."

"Who cares?" Kurt whooped. "It vas amazing!"

"Alright, furball," Logan snapped as he entered the room. "You're officially discharged. Now don't you have some homework to do?"

Kurt, used to Logan's brusqueness, just gave the man a jaunty wave and vanished with a poof of sulfurous smoke.

"I thought you were a water moving thingy," Logan growled accusingly. It was a testimony of how intimidating he could be, that he could say 'thingy' and look so terrifying at the same time.

"I am," Kana replied, a little unnerved.

"So how'd you do that?"

"Yes, exactly how? Is this your secondary mutation? To what extent can you heal others? How - ?"

Hank even had a notebook and pen, ready to scribble down anything Kana said. Clearly, his inner scientist was having a field day.

"Um," Kana said again. She could feel the sweat beading her upper lip. _This,_ she thought, _Must be what a cornered animal must feel like._

"No need to be scared, kid," Logan said. Was it her or did he sound just a little more gentle?

"My mom told me," Kana said, "That your life force runs along your entire body. Your chi, if you like."

"Chi. Yes," Hank said, scribbling furiously.

Kana cleared her throat surreptitiously. It really was unnerving, the way the big blue mutant was hanging on to her every word. And of course, the way Logan was glaring at her - but wait, wasn't that just his neutral face?

"And well, the chi's pathways are identical to the bloodstream. So if I use the water to direct the energy towards the injured cells, which allow them to regenerate faster. I'm not really sure how it works, my mom was better at explaining it then me." Kana bit her lip.

"I think I understand," Hank said, pausing in his scribbling to push up his spectacles. "Fascinating, this."

Wolverine looked at the girl. He saw how her shoulders tensed as she spoke, almost as though she expected a blow to come from nowhere. And he could smell her nervousness, sharp and bright, as it cut through the air like a knife.

She wasn't a fighter, he realised. He could force her into training, but he wouldn't be helping her, only breaking her. And, from the way she shook, ever so slightly, as she looked at him, it looked like her spirit had been broken a long time ago.

"Well, kid," he finally said. "It'd be handy to have a medic around with the way these idiots get injured." He paused, and Kana waited for him to continue.

"And congrats, kid," Logan said. "You're officially excused from training."

Then he turned and left. Or he would have, if he didn't almost slam into Kitty.

"Oops, sorry Mr Logan," Kitty sang. Unperturbed by his growls, she phased through him neatly. "Kurt told us about what you did! Ohmigod, that sounded like, amazing!"

"Um." Kitty's constant enthusiasm was honestly disturbing Kana. "Thanks?"

"So, like, what code name are you gonna take?"

"Code name?"

Kitty made an impatient sounding noise. "Y'know, so we can call you when you're wearing your uniform. Which, by the way, had better be coming soon 'cos Amara's just looks ridiculous on you."

"Oh, yeah." Kana had shut out most of what Kitty had said after the first sentence. She'd been thinking of a nickname for a while now, and thought she had one that fit.

"Scylla," she said.

"Scylla," Kitty repeated, trying the sound out. "Why?"

Kana smiled thinly. "She was a water nymph from Greek mythology."

"Cool!" Kitty bounced out of the door. "I'm gonna tell the others!"

Which left Kana alone in the medical bay with Hank.

"Well," Kana said. "It looks like I'm gonna be a regular here."

Hank's expression was grim. "Scylla?"

Kana shrugged. "I like the sound of it."

"I'm assuming you know the rest of the legend. That Scylla was a nymph transformed into a monster."

"I know."

As Hank looked at her, and she thought she saw something like pity on his face.

"You're not a monster," he said.

Kana couldn't help but smile.

"You don't have to look like a monster to be one," she said softly. He flinched, as she thought he would.

"I'm not a good person, Mr McCoy. Not like you."

"Kana, what makes you say you're a bad person?"

She closed her eyes, feeling her past weigh down on her like chains.

"You aren't a bad person," Hank said firmly. She wished she was as certain as he sounded.

"Thanks Mr McCoy," Kana whispered, and left.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's comment: Yes, Kana is basically a waterbender. (See Avatar: The Last Airbender) I was afraid that would make her a little overpowered, but I was looking through the various class five mutants – I mean, look at Ice Man, Wolverine, Storm, Emma Frost, etc. They all have secondary mutations and awesome abilities so it seemed perfectly fair for Kana to be a healer as well. And yes, more angst, but that would be explained later.<strong>

**Why Scylla? The Mandarin names just didn't fit. 'Mazu' - the only really well-known Chinese goddess - does not sound like a codename you would use. At all. **

**I was supposed to give up on this story, but somehow, didn't. Had a weird dream involving X-Men characters the other day - Mystique, Magneto and Gambit were involved in this dastardly plot that I cannot remember. I woke up, remembered this fic, and started to continue writing it. **

**Please review, make any kind of comment that will convince me that someone is reading, and maybe I'll take a shorter time uploading the next chapter and writing this is not an absolute waste of time.**

**I don't write for my own pleasure, but for the pleasure of others. Weirdly enough. **


	6. Chapter 5

**Hearts and Diamonds Chapter 5**

**Number of words: 1022**  
><strong>Summary: In which Gambit makes use of his sneaky abilities, and Kana gets upset.<strong>  
><strong>Author's comments: Much shorter than usual for some reason. But it's a complete chapter on its own. I will update as soon as I can figure out what goes in the next chapter. I have a giant outline for the story, but the day-to-day mundane chapters escape me. DX<strong>

**Keep the reviews coming! They helped. =) I was surprised at the response since few people ever read my fics.**

Remy LeBeau was a master in sneaking around unnoticed. This was, of course, to be expected; as the adopted son of the infamous Thieves Guild's patriarch, he had to learn many shady skills not often advocated by the average parent. One did not become a master thief without learning the art of sneaking around unnoticed.

There were security cameras in the area, but those were easily avoided, made easier thanks to the cover of darkness and the multitude of trees growing on the grounds. The telepaths had always been the biggest problem with breaking into the Institute. But Remy had figured a way around that. He'd learnt that generating a constant field of static around his body messed with any kind of psychic mumbo jumbo aimed at him. He'd tried it out with Mastermind over and over again until he was confident that it'd worked. The illusionist had complained of a headache for the rest of the day. Yes, Remy LeBeau was brilliant.

He made his way over to the living quarters of the house, scanning the windows, trying to figure out which one belonged to little Kana's room. It helped when she leaned out to open the windows, letting the night breeze into the room.

_Ah._ He wet his lips. So she was rooming with Rogue. Lovely.

Then Kana spoke. "You can stop hiding now. I know you're out there."

XXXXX

Kana had sensed the presence outside of her window since he'd perched himself on that tree. She was alone in the rom; Rogue had gone to the rec room to play Mortal Kombat with the guys, and from the sounds of things, wouldn't be back until she had kicked their asses to her satisfaction. But Kana figured she could handle any trespasser on her own.

She opened the bedroom windows and called out. "You can stop hiding now. I know you're out there."

She was completely taken by surprise by the intruder's appearance when he vaulted through the open window. He was tall, dark, and yes, handsome, in a scruffy kind of way; flamboyantly dressed in a black bodysuit, including a black headband pulled at the base of his hair, letting a brown shock of it tumble over the top. And a flapping trench coat, of all things, despite the sweltering heat. And his eyes – she blinked when she saw them, even though she was already used to odd appearances – his eyes were entirely black, with flaming red irises.

"'evening, _mademoiselle_." He had a slow, easy grin on his face, slow, easy way of walking. Like a cat.

"Care to explain why you're intruding?" Kana asked, folding her arms across her chest. She wasn't going to be intimidated. He was one of those men who oozed sex and charm; she'd seen them a million times before, and she wasn't going to fall for it.

Remy wondered if the girl had any idea what she was doing. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was being provocative, because _merde_, the way she'd just crossed her arms was giving him the perfect view of –

No. That wasn't what he was here for. Business was business, and Gambit never mixed business with his love affairs. That was just a shout out to the fates to screw with his life. Hard.

"I'm just part of de welcoming committee." He swept a low bow. "Remy LeBeau. Enchanted to meet y'."

He could feel her roll her eyes before he even got up. So it was going to be like that, huh. He wasn't fazed.

"Why are you here? Really."

Gmbit looked her up and down. She was a tiny thing, and even though there was no physical resemblance, there was something about the way she was holding herself that reminded him of Belladonna; trying so hard to hide any kind of weakness with a tough-girl act. He figured if she was anything like Bella, the romancing wouldn't work very well, and decided to play a card he didn't use often – the truth.

"I was sent here," he said. "By Magneto."

She didn't relax. Clearly, the name meant nothing to her.

"He's a friend of y'r parents. Erik Lensherr."

She bit her lip. "The Professor's friend?"

Gambit laughed. "De Professor and Magneto haven't been friends for years, _chér_. Something 'bout a disagreement in methods. But t'at's ancient history. De point is," he smiled, trying his best to appear welcoming and not… smirking, "is that Magneto's extending an offer f'r y' to live with him, anytime y' get fed up with dis place. Favour t' y'r parents and all that."

"Uh huh."

"T'ink about it, _chér_. De Professor's nice and all, but you might realise dat dis ain't t' place f'r y'. and when y' change y'r mind, well." He couldn't help it, his lips curved into a full-blown smirk. "Just let me know."

Kana wouldn't buy it. She wouldn't. But still, she couldn't help but smile at his arrogance. "Two problems with that. One; how am I ever supposed to tell a random mutant that I've never seen before and will never see again that I want to move over to some weird old guy's place, _even if_ he's a friend of my parents? Two; what makes you so sure that I'd move out to said random stranger's place?"

"Dis ain't the place f'r y' girl. I can tell, just talking t' y. Y've got too much spirit f'r this cage. And as f'r the first question, well," he drawled. "Remy always knows when he's wanted."

"Does he?" She thought her heart fluttered, just a little then.

"Well. There hasn't been a girl yet who can resist me," he whispered, leaning in very close towards her. Before she quite knew what was going on, he took her hand and pressed a kiss to it. "_Adieu_." And then he had bounded out of the window and into the dark.

As Gambit left, he distinctly heard a female voice swear long and hard, in Chinese or Japanese or whatever it was the girl spoke. It didn't matter, its intent was clear.

Oh yes, he was good.


End file.
